Storing documents and other flat articles in an organized manner is important in numerous applications, including in the home and office. Accordingly, the prior art has disclosed numerous arrangements for enabling the organized storage of documents and the like. By way of example, prior art storage devices have included file folders with multiple compartments, filing cabinets, storage boxes, and many other constructions.
Expanding, multi-compartment file folders can retain documents in any one of a number of separate pockets. Advantageously, such file folders are relatively compact and, therefore, can themselves be readily stored, whether in a closet, a drawer, under a bed, or otherwise. However, expanding file folders are significantly limited in their capacity. Furthermore, such file folders, which are commonly constructed from cardboard or thin plastic, are typically of limited durability, often losing structural integrity over time.
File cabinets and filing drawers are advantageous in that they can hold large volumes of materials. Often being crafted of metal, wood, or composite materials, fixed file cabinets are also advantageous in that they are normally notably durable and can withstand years of continued usage. However, at least in certain applications, tile cabinets can be considered to be disadvantageous in that they are bulky and occupy relatively large footprints. As such, file cabinets demand dedicated space, which may not be available in a user's home or office. Furthermore, file cabinets normally bear a utilitarian appearance such that their constant presence and visibility may prove unacceptable in certain applications, particularly in the home.
Advantageously, prior art inventors have devised of filing arrangements capable of converting from a use configuration to a storage configuration for enabling the filing arrangement to pursue a reduced size. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,364 to Lundberg discloses a “Filing Cabinet Containing Storing Frames for Suspended Sheets”. The Lundberg filing cabinet, however, includes numerous storing frames that are extendably and retractably retained relative to a housing. Consequently, the filing cabinet enjoys severely limited portability and remains difficult to store and transport. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,381,907 to De Lisle is directed to a “Filing-Cabinet” with a collapsible filing device that can receive and hold down hanging sheets. The disclosed structure is, however, complex in structure and function. Furthermore, even when collapsed, both filing structures must be maintained in a vertical disposition such that they require, a dedicated storage space and remain exposed to view.
For these and further reasons, it will be appreciated that there remains a need in the art for a durable storage arrangement that would enable the storage of appreciable volumes of documents and other materials in a compact manner while being unobtrusive and itself readily stored.